Tour Operators, Others Urge FG, NAHCON To Address Hajj Issues

Some Muslims in Abuja , have expressed concerns over the poor services rendered to Nigerian pilgrims by the Saudi Arabian Authorities during the Hajj Pilgrimage in 2023.

They want the Federal Government through the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria , and all stakeholders involved from Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to address these issues before the next Hajj in 2024.

Every Hajj has its own challenges but for most Nigerian pilgrims , 2023 Hajj seems to have more problems than previous years.

This is because pilgrims were not happy with the experiences they got especially on the issues of feeding and accommodation in places like Arafat, Mina, and Muzdalifa.

They complained to their leaders from various states , yet there was no solution.

With all these complaints, The National Hajj Commission expressed its disappointment to the Saudi Arabian authorities and requested a refund especially on money paid for food.

The Saudi Arabian authorities on their part promised to look into their concerns and come up with a suitable solutions for both parties.

And now Hajj 2024 is fast approaching and as the saying goes in Islam “The end of a preceding Hajj is the beginning of a new Hajj as it is a yearly ritual “.

The National Hajj Commission and Saudi Arabian authorities have started preparations for Hajj 2024, and one of the policies is to ensure that pilgrims from Nigeria deposit 4.5million naira to prevent delay and encourage early registration, and also promote transparency in the process.

But some Muslims scholars have complained about the increment as they believe it may be difficult for some intending pilgrims to participate in the hajj 2024 exercise.

And some tour operators also share their experiences to TVC News on how their business was affected , they hope for better hajj in 2024.

To find out more on what the National Hajj Commission Nigeria is doing to avoid these challenges , TVC News spoke to its Chairman , Jalal Ahmed Arabi , who gave us an insight on what the commission has done so far since his resumption into office.

He also told us about new policies set up by Saudi Arabian authorities , price increment , issues involving tour operators, volunteers for medical hajj personnels, among others.

The chairman says the commission has made remarkable progress in its preparation for next year’s Hajj.